Becoming Bikers

Our EXTREMELY cautious child has finally warmed up to the idea that she really CAN ride a 2 wheeler and she has been able to for a LONG time now...She just had a hard time trusting herself I guess.

After months and months of riding while dad ran alongside...

Can you see the shock on Coleson's face?!? :)

She finally was willing to ride alone...not without several tears and crashes because she was throwing tantrums and angry faces that stormed into the house...but she is FINALLY riding alone and earned a new bike.

So guess who wants her old pink one and thinks she can already ride a 2 wheeler WITHOUT anyones help AT ALL? Yep...she's a pretty independent girl, they could not be more opposite. We love them both a TON though!

Friday Night Baseball

So, Tyler's Birthday present has been fun for the whole family, at least on the nights that the games are before 9 at night. While Tyler is hitting well enough to get on base, and making some pretty sweet double plays, the kids are:

Riding 2 wheelers (more of Z's accomplishment in the next post)

Bathing in red dirt...

And playing with their FAVORITE friends...

And planning their future wedding (ok, so Aleeya has told Coleson every Friday night that she WILL marry him :)...they are pretty much made for eachother.)

Needless to say, Friday nights are full of fun, and LOTS of soapy showers!

A little creativity

Tyler's red coffee table...well I designed and painted it, but he built it.

Coleson's masterpiece, sent to someone he loves.

Addellyn's family portrait, found on the chalkboard bright and early one morning.

Makinzie's correspondence with her "best-friend cousin." Some pictures of her adventures were sent back with Flat Stella and the note as well.

DON'T WORRY! I dunna catch cha!

And then, this is what I saw:

HaHaHAhaHAHa!

Coleson is pretty afraid of this slide because it shoots him off the end pretty fast. So, in anticipaion of Addellyn coming just as fast down, he did feel like it was his brotherly duty to catch her, but he also had to protect himself. So he watched for her from behind his daddy :). And yelled: "Come on Ally-ooper, I dunna catch cha!"

SAsSy

Not my children, the caterpillar! Ironic that this is the name Addellyn chose for her very 1st and short lived pet, perhaps...;)

Ally is completely in LOVE!

Cole is not too sure...

A little REST...and some much needed reflection

Easter morning reflections....I'm sure the two of them were pondering something spiritually profound that they had learned that morning during conference.

Grandy and Coleson are the two walking "spots" with sticks in their hands. We looked out past the front porch Sunday morning and saw the two of them strolling down the road together. What a pair!

The girls, and Coleson, drove up the parkway to watch the sun go down Saturday night, while the men were at their Priesthood meeting. It was absolutely beautiful. The result of Linnea saying "down, set, hike!" to Coleson.

Katie worrying about the steep drop off to Coleson's left and hoping he doesn't lose his balance.

Saturday morning egg hunt. After a great hike through the woods.

We were blessed to spend Ty's final few days of time-off in the beautiful mountains; spending time with friends, celebrating the joy of Easter and the blessing of the Resurrection, watching and being completely rejuvinated by general conference and soaking in every beauty that has been created around us...It was absolutely WONDERFUL!

BEST Birthday EVER!

Because I got a new crockpot! YAY!
Honestly, I love my new pot. And, honestly, my actual birthday was a little rotten...but then the next morning Ty didn't have to work and I stayed in bed reading while they made waffles. And The waffles were soooo yummy, much better than birthday cake!

I may look pale and awful, but I was very happy to have the whole family home for a few days. I just shouldn't have worn a gray sweatshirt and come down before at least combing my hair...if only I had known sooo many pictures were going to be taken.

So why was it the BEST ever?!?

Ty got me.........................my MOM for my present! The crockpot was just a cover-up. He had actually planned months ahead for my sister to help watch my little brother (I LOVE my sister!) and my mom to fly out for a week in May.

The BEST present I have EVER gotten...EVER!

I was soooo incredibly overwhelemed. He is the most wonderful husband in the entire WORLD! I love him so much, and obviously he knows me really well. I am so LUCKY!

And then, as if that weren't enough...my dad and mom found a ticket for the same flights and they bought it.....so my DAD gets to come too!!! I can NOT WAIT! That week is going to fly by sooo fast, I am a little nervous about the way I will be feeling after they leave. But, I can not wait to see them. It has been almost a year since we left their house and I have never missed them more than I do now.

BEST Birthday EVER!

Thanks Ty! I love you!

All DRESSED-UP!

The kids wore their Easter outfits a week early. They all looked pretty cute. Everyone kept telling Coleson he was so handsome...He would respond "No I'm NOOOT handstum!" So adorable right? :/

Makinzie thought she needed to take one of me...not bad for her first time.

Thanks to Grandma Pam, they looked like princesses!

Can you tell what's missing? Now there is another one missing right next to it! Things could NOT be more exciting around here!

Hard at Work!

Ty had Spring Break off....which means...he WORKED like crazy! He built these garden boxes out of old pallets. Then hauled loads, and loads and LOADS of dirt and mulch to fill them. After we had lined the ground and the boxes with that black "ground cover stuff" (obviously I am a very good gardener :)). Try to imagine it with a nice rock path between the boxes and ground cover plants growing around all of the rocks...as well as a plush beautiful grass up to the edge of the garden area...Those are the eventual plans anyway. PATIENCE. It's hard to wait sometimes!
Then we managed to plant: lettuce, cabbage, cilantro, basil, thyme, green breans, cow peas, green peas, lima beans, carrots, leeks, zucchini, squash, broccoli, beets, watermelon, bell and hot peppers, tomatoes, strawberries, and 2 raspberry bushes (in another spot). Hopefully it will all grow!

The refinished kitchen table and red chairs.

A better view of Ty's bench.

The window seat he made.

I did paint the chairs red and make a cushion and some new pillows for the family room...Plus I tried to help when I could with all of the outside work...It was a great week!

Daddy's Day!

Ty got to give the FHE lesson on his Birthday! Lucky guy! He chose to show everyone his mission book...Makinzie is modeling the most frequent pose in the book (a cheesy thumbs up :)).

They loved looking at "funny" pictures of daddy. Coleson was happy to tell Ty ALL about what he put in his special Birthday card...dressed as Super Man, of course!

Wouldn't be complete without a good dose of silly faces and some very yummy brownies filled with Reese's pieces (or yummy M&Ms) and some ice cream on the side...

What did he get?!? A softball team membership, about $60 (but this also means I have agreed for him to be gone EVERY Friday night from April til September). He used his Birthday money to buy Baseball cleats and a new glove. He is one HAPPY Birthday boy! He was giddy with excitement the day they called to invite him onto their team. (Thanks Brooks!)